NHL Labor Negotiations To Start

[SayOw]

The NHL wiped out the third week of the regular season Friday as the lockout dragged on, leaving no more wiggle room if the league hopes to play a full 82-game schedule.

A day after the NHL turned down three counterproposals from players, the league canceled 53 more games. A total of 135 games through Nov. 1 have been scratched, which amounts to 11 percent of the season.

Full story here.

[TroyB911]

Originally Posted by SiteWolf

they tryin' to commit Harry Carey?

they all lost money, the league lost players and fans, and came back weaker the last time........they think this is gonna do less damage?

Exactly. The game was almost lost forever. Post lockout they had to come up with ideas to bring back the fans. Including no more ties. Overtime and the shootout. Blowing the momentum is bad.

I hear they are considering some more rule changes this time around. Here are some cool ideas:
Extend OT to 7 minutes. After 4 mins go to 3 on 3.
Turn shootout to 2 on 1
3 pts for reg win
2 pts for OT win
1 pt OT loss

[yon Beast]

Originally Posted by TroyB911

I hear they are considering some more rule changes this time around. Here are some cool ideas:
Extend OT to 7 minutes. After 4 mins go to 3 on 3.
Turn shootout to 2 on 1
3 pts for reg win
2 pts for OT win
1 pt OT loss

personally. I have NEVER been a fan of the 'shootout'.

the name of the game is hockey and should be played until there is a winner....as in sudden death.
screw the tv timeslot....and screw the commercial timeouts!

That would put some integrity back in the game IMO!

First things first, tho....they need to be playing...not bickering.

[TroyB911]

If you asked me. Put some commercials at the end of the Periods. Between 1-2 and 2-3 intermissions. Also when the analysts are mugging it up about their opinions, interviews, or game recaps. Split screen a sponsor or commercial there. Dont need a hot chick making bedroom noises to buy your chips. How bout a Pepsi can cracks open to a sound effect. then listen to a refreshing poor as the can spins across the screen to the 1/4 point on opposite side and the banner slides out. Pepsi. Pure refreshment! Do we really need cute dogs, hot women, or Coke venders to buy something you either drink now or you dont. Has a soda commercial ever convinced you to try a drink you dont currently drink? Isnt that reserved for the Super Bowl?

But keep the game flowing. Also keep shifts longer. I like seeing tired hockey players trying to play defense. Not a dump and chase change 30 secs into a shift. Ah but we can only ask nicely eh? Agree with most of what you say btw.

[SayOw]

FWIW:

There are usually no commercials during overtime hockey. If there is, there is one and is usually after the first stoppage of play after the 10:00 mark (when playing full ot periods).

Commercial breaks are not the problem with hockey. It is one of the few sports where 5 minutes (or more) of unstopped play is maintained. There are usually 3 fixed commercial breaks during the periods, which is far less than an NFL game and usually far fewer than NBA and MLB games per hour.

[yon Beast]

i see. thank you.

regardless...my point was that TV has an undetermined amount of influence on the length of today's () games.
pretty sure that was one reason they brought in the shoot-out was to shorten up overtimes for tv slot

yuck!

people argue that longer games mean more injuries and such.
I say...if you play again the next day or your team is getting tired...be aggressive. pull goalie...get 'er done....one way or the other but finish the game the way it started...not with penalty shots...and ties are good to nobody.

tv will rule tho....all just hopes and dreams. sigh*

[SayOw]

It's the intermissions that make the game take too long.

At one time it was necessary to take a 17-20 minute intermission just to get the playing surface groomed, but with today's equipment and technology that can be done in half the time... go to 10 minute intermissions - that will trim 2 commercial breaks there - and you'd be able to easily get a hockey game done in under 3 hours...which is way more tv friendly than the game is now, with most games easily surpassing 3 hours in total length.

[bballjer44]

My recollection is Blackhawks start at 7:30 and over around 10.
Hate shootouts and current point system.

[SayOw]

They failed to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement by the Thursday deadline set by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, therefore ensuring that the league won't be able to fit in a full season of games.

Again, owners and players stayed away from the bargaining table on Thursday — taking away any possible drama of a last-minute deal to preserve a whole season. The NHL didn't make any formal announcement on the 40th day of the lockout.

The deadline passed, but the league didn't declare another round of game cancellations. That is expected soon, perhaps as early as Friday.

Full story here.

And now that both sides know a full season won't be played they will dig their heels in even deeper to make the lockout "worth it". Will another season be completely lost? As the lockout started, many thought neither side would allow regular season games be lost let alone the thought of an entire season. Now, I don't think anyone will be surprised if there is no hockey played at all this season because both sides don't care about playing hockey.

[SayOw]

The National Hockey League announced today the cancellation of the 2012-13 regular-season schedule through November 30 because of the absence of a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Players' Association and the NHL.

A total of 326 regular-season games – 26.5 percent of the season -- were scheduled for Oct. 11 through Nov. 30.

Link here.

[SiteWolf]

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, "it's deja vu all over again"

........or is it Groundhog Day

[SayOw]

After more than two weeks apart and the hockey season hanging in the balance, the NHL and the players' association are returning to the bargaining table Saturday after more than two weeks off.

The hope of a full season being played is already gone, and so is the popular New Year's Day Winter Classic. If real progress isn't made soon, the NHL could be looking at its second lost campaign since 2004.

For the first time since Oct. 18, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and players' association special counsel Steve Fehr agreed to meet at a secret location Saturday afternoon. The two have been talking by phone during the week and found enough common ground to get together face-to-face.

Full story here.

[SayOw]

A secret, long-awaited bargaining session has done some good in the NHL labor fight - so much so that the sides already have plans to get back to the bargaining table soon.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and players' association special counsel Steve Fehr met for long stretches Saturday in an undisclosed location, marking the first time the sides had gotten together for talks in more than two weeks.

Story here.

Have plans to talk again "soon"???? You see, neither side has any sense of reality or urgency. They don't really care about playing hockey if they really did they would have plans to talk TODAY or TOMORROW or Wednesday or Thursday...certainly not "soon".

For reference: After I visit my parents I always say "See you again soon." I see my parents maybe 4 times a year now, so "soon" to me is about 3 months....

[anthonyovitt]

Looks like there is some progress.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/86...gain-wednesday

[SayOw]

Originally Posted by anthonyovitt

Looks like there is some progress.

Nope...

Season is in serious jeopardy now...

Any mounting optimism from four straight days of labor talks between the NHL and NHLPA seemed to abate as negotiations went sour between the two sides Friday.

Multiple sources told ESPNNewYork.com that Friday's evening session ended with some tense exchanges across the table between some of the players and some owners in attendance, as well as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

...

After the two sides broke for the evening -- they have yet to determine when they'll meet again...

Full story here.